NEW YORK — Schneps Media (https://www.schnepsmedia.com) hosted the 7th Annual Gay City News Impact Awards, presented by VillageCareMAX, where the company honored individuals who made a difference in the LGBTQ+ community in New York City and beyond. The event was a celebration of their achievements, talent, strength, vision, and heart. The annual event recognized dozens of LGBTQ+ leaders, as well as allies — from grassroots activists to national executives — across a range of fields such as advocacy, the arts, business, entertainment, literature, and more.
Media personality and philanthropist Sir Shefik Macauley, known mononymously as Shefik, was among this year's honorees. Outside of receiving an award from Schneps Media, Shefik also received a citation from New York State Assembly (https://nyassembly.gov), the lower house of the New York State Legislature.
The award and citation particularly highlighted Shefik's role as Co-Lead of the employee resource group OUT at NBCUniversal (https://out.nbcuevents.com), based in Stamford, Connecticut. Shefik is also currently a Technical Lead at NBC Sports, where he developed mission-critical technology for 2020 Summer Olympics (Tokyo), 2022 Winter Olympics (Beijing), 2022 FIFA World Cup (Qatar), and many more high-profile events.
Shefik continues to also serve as a Steering Committee Member of the Black Employee Network (BEN), as he further strides towards a strong commitment to significant Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, here at NBCUniversal.
Alongside his colleagues over the years, Shefik produced and moderated memorable events for multiple employee resource groups at NBCUniversal, with guests such as Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman, 2-time Academy Award nominee Siedah Garrett, historic Olympic diver Greg Louganis, Motown Records icon Smokey Robinson, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Chris Jasper of The Isley Brothers, powerhouse vocalist Sarah Dash of Labelle and Keith Richards & The X-Pensive Winos, Emmy Award nominee John Amos, Tony Award winner Melba Moore, hip-hop pioneer Doctor Dré of "Yo! MTV Raps", Broadway performers, and many more legendary personalities.
OUT is the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Straight Ally Employee Alliance at NBCUniversal. Founded in 1986, the employee resource group and its legacy counterparts make it one of Corporate America's oldest LGBTQ+ employee groups.
Shefik's other activities include community work with nonprofit organizations and various entities, such as Sovereign Imperial and Royal House of Ghassan, Royal House of Sefwi Obeng-Mim, YWCA, Miss America Organization, Harlem Film House, Broadway Sings for Pride, Munhu, and many others.
"I am deeply humbled to be acknowledged and honored by Schneps Media and New York State Assembly for my ongoing community work," says Shefik. "There is still so much more needed to expand the definition and scope of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, in a meaningful manner."
Schneps Media is the proud publisher and producer of 2 major market metro daily newspapers, 33 award-winning newspapers, 28 magazines and specialty publications, 20 websites, and more than 50 annual events, including Gay City News — the largest LGBTQ+ newspaper in the United States, with a circulation of 47,000. Schneps Media's mission is to provide all of their readers with news and information about the issues that shape their daily lives in their neighborhoods.
About Shefik
Sir Shefik Macauley (https://shefik.info), known mononymously as Shefik, is an accomplished industry insider, who has appeared in audio and video productions for MTV, Paramount+, SiriusXM, PBS, TRT World, and Disney's "The Lion King" on Broadway. For his charitable and philanthropic work throughout the years, he was bestowed with the rank of Knight in the Equestrian Order of Michael Archangel (http://www.michaelarchangel.org), subjected only to the Sovereign Imperial and Royal House of Ghassan (http://www.royalghassan.org). Celebrating over 25 years in the entertainment and technology industries, Shefik has held senior-level positions at many Fortune 500 companies and celebrated brands, including NBCUniversal, IBM, MTV World, Merck, Merriam-Webster, and Wolters Kluwer. As a videographer and producer, his work has been featured in television broadcasts and video productions for TIME, The Washington Center, "Unsung" (TV One), and Broadway World. Additionally, his photography has been featured in print and online publications, such as Daily Mail (United Kingdom), Harvard Kennedy School Magazine, Playbill, and China Press. He is currently the Executive Producer and Host of the nationally syndicated radio show "Shefik presents Invocation" (https://invocation.co), which is broadcast on 23 terrestrial radio stations and frequencies throughout the United States, as well as the internationally syndicated video series of the same name, via Amazon and other notable outlets.
Media Contacts
Shefik
All Knight Access
+1 (914) 548-5033
shefik@allknightaccess.com
Last Updated: December 11, 2023
